The School Play
by Zozo Croox
Summary: ..."That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The teenage boy continued. The teachers were soothed by the boy's acting, and as his audition got longer, the educators considered him to be in a female role more and more... Pairing: Lancelot/Artie


**Chapter 1: The Auditions**

"William Shakespeare was a poet, an author, and an actor," Mr. Fletcher explained as he wrote the poet's name on the board.

He was a very plump fellow, his hair was rather thin, and he had a deep mellow voice. When he turned around, he met bored and uninterested eyes from most of the students like Guinevere who was chewing gum and was pampering her fingernails, and the only people who looked interested were two nerds. Xavier and Gary to be exact. Xavier tried to stop his nose from bleeding and Gary played with his braces while listening to the teacher.

Mr. Fletcher ignored the eyes and continued, "He was born on the twenty-sixth of April of year fifteen ninety-four. He died at age fifty-two on April twenty-three of year sixteen-sixteen. He was married to Anne Hathaway, and he had three children named…"

Arthur was already tired of listening to the lesson. Instead, he glanced around, looking for something interesting. He _did_ find something interesting. Guinevere. He rested his chin on his hand while his elbow was resting on his table as he studied his 'beloved'.

Guinevere had long, twisted nougat hair that was pinned up untidily, her skin was fair, she had petite hands, her rosy cheeks were endearing, her stunning eyes almost melted Arthur, her lips were full and kissable, and she had a very slim figure. Sure, there were freckles here and there, but it just added points to her beauty. However, when you observed what's inside of her, you'd cover your nose, for she smelt of rotten eggs. She's snobbish, and arrogant; if you don't want to get verbally bullied, don't go near this young woman. But that didn't matter to Arthur, for she 'Is the fairest maiden of them all' (Snow White already claimed that title). That's what Arthur thought.

Then, Arthur felt someone pierce a glare at him that made his emotion of 'love' drain away. He turned his head to the left; no one was looking at him, but when he turned to the right, he saw Lancelot gaze at him with eagle eyes that said, _'Stay away from Gwen or else.' _He punched his palm as a threat to Arthur. Poor Artie. He always got bruises from the jousting team. Artie quickly turned his head to the board, and sat straight. He tried to ignore Lancelot's intent look, but Artie barely succeeded. It felt like eternity when the school bell rang from the east wing.

"Class, I have an announcement," Mr. Fletcher started as he put the chalk down, "The reason why I taught you this lesson is because there is a school play in a few months. It is called 'Romeo and Juliet'." Everyone started to murmur with curiosity. The plump man tapped on the board to silence everyone.

"I'll be handing out scripts. The whole student body will have their own too." He said as he grabbed a stack of scripts on his desk. Then, he handed them out one by one. When Arthur got his script, he flipped the pages. He stopped flipping the pages and read a few lines.

_O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?  
Deny thy father, and refuse thy name,  
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,  
And I'll no longer be a Capulet._

He flipped the script to another page, and continued reading.

_…Here's to my love! [Drinks] O true apothec'ry,  
Thy drugs are quick. [Kisses her] Thus with a kiss I die. [Dies]_

Artie raised his left eyebrow. Dying for your beloved? Artie thought that it was so overrated. He thought that dying for someone is a waste of time, because he thought that Gwen wouldn't even care, but half of his brain thought that it was worth a shot. A really dumb shot.

"The whole student body is required to be at the gym in the south wing after this session for the auditions." Mr. Fletcher stated as he sat down and arranged test papers. Some of the students at the back groaned. Artie didn't want to audition, because he knew that he won't get a part, even if it's one of the extras.

"Oh, and one more thing," The plump man pressed his palms firmly on his desk, and leaned his upper body on the desk, "If you don't audition, you will not get a grade. If you get a part, you'll have plus points." Artie sighed and leaned on his chair.

'At least it's for a grade…' Arthur thought. Then, everyone stood up, and headed out the door. Students, especially Lancelot, shoved Artie away to make their way through the halls. He got used to that, but he never liked it. He wished that he would at least be a link higher in this 'food chain', but alas, he was lower than Nosebleed and Headgear. Little did Artie know that this play would change his life forever.

* * *

"O Romeo, Romeo," Guinevere blew a bubble, popped it, and continued earning a confused stare from the headmaster, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" She finished. Her voice sounded overconfident like she was going to get the role of Juliet; however, she was too proud to pay attention to her acting. Long story short, she sucked. However, Arthur didn't care, because when Gwen was under a spotlight, she looked so blooming. Artie almost drooled all over the floor.

The whole student body was sitting on the bleachers while they waited for each one to finish their audition. Then, Artie felt someone slap the back of his head with a script. He turned around, and saw Lancelot with Lionel and Bohort cackling with each other cruelly behind him.

"Hey worm, you think you'll get a chance to go out with my girlfriend?" Lancelot asked. Artie knew it was a rhetorical question, so he didn't answer, and waited for Lance to answer for the said worm.

"Well, you don't! So stop dreaming about it!" Lance finished as he laughed with his teammates once more. Artie hated it. He hated not getting a chance to date Gwen, hated Lance, hated being mocked, hated his appearance, hated being the jousting dummy, hated his father, and hated this school, but he couldn't do anything but suck it up and put up with it. He ignored the jousting team's ruckus, and turned his attention to the stage.

"Um, Guinevere…" Principal Pynchley was intervened by Gwen's conceited yapping.

"I know. I'm perfect to be Juliet, right?" Gwen put her left hand on her hip as she blew another bubble. She popped it as Principal Pynchley and two other teachers looked at each other. The two teachers, namely Mr. Fletcher and Mrs. Bennett, shuffled on their seats while Mr. Pynchley cleared his throat.

"Well, Gwen, we will tell everyone who will get which role, and who will not have a role tomorrow morning. You may go now." The headmaster left it at that. Gwen stepped down the stage, and strutted to the exit. And as always, she looked snobby.

"Next student please." Mrs. Bennett announced. She looked like she was in her 40's, she had ginger hair (But she had a few strands of white hair here and there), her lips were thin, her nose was pointy, her eyes were green, her skin was a little wrinkly, and she was wearing an olive dress that was quite plain.

"Well, it's my turn to shine." Lancelot said pompously. He pushed Artie aside indifferently as he made his way down the bleachers and to the stage. Artie let out a little pained sound and rubbed his right arm. Lancelot never cared for people's feelings, specifically Artie. Artie never knew why Lancelot hated him so much. The 'worm' didn't even do anything to the jousting captain when the blonde got to Worcestershire Academy. What a cruel world.

"Go on, Lance," Mr. Fletcher insisted. He was a skinny fellow who had a long black beard, and he was wearing a tangerine robe. Artie didn't like Mr. Fletcher that much. Artie liked Mr. Merlin better, because he was the only family Artie had. Mr. Merlin was the only person who understood the teenage boy. But now, Mr. Merlin got fired, because people thought he was crazy. Artie didn't have anything anymore.

Artie guided his gaze to the stage, and observed Lance. The jousting captain straightened his body as he put his right foot in front of the left. He scanned the bleachers to see if the ladies were paying attention. He winked at the girls, and as usual, the gals swooned over him. Artie rolled his eyes at the sight of it. It almost made him vomit! What was so charming about Lancelot? Maybe girls those days liked jerks that beat up innocent people.

Lancelot held his script and began to read Romeo's lines. The jouster and his girlfriend planned on being Romeo and Juliet, so they can rub their 'perfection' in the students' faces. The couple's perfection was merely an illusion. They never saw their limitations.

"He jests at scars that never felt a wound," Lancelot started as he thickened his emotions, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" He made eye contact with the audience; his eyes were filled with passion. He paced to the right, continuing his lines.

"It is the east," He declared as he pointed to the east, and then he raised the same hand upwards, "And Juliet is the sun." The teachers were on the edge of their seats already. Artie rolled his eyes once again. He wasn't really feeling it.

"Arise, fair sun," The jousting captain continued as he raised both of his hands to the imaginary sun in the gym, "And kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she." He lifted his right hand to the center of the audience where Artie sat. The blonde boy rolled his eyes once again.

_'Show off…'_ Artie thought. He didn't pay attention to the stage anymore, and started looking around the gym. He saw Mr. Fletcher across the gym who was scolding a student for being so noisy. Artie darted his eyes to the right, and saw some of Lance's teammates picking on Nosebleed and Headgear. Arthur then glanced to the right, and saw Lance's 'fan club' hyperventilating. When he decided that the gym was boring as well, he started to daydream. He fantasized about him getting to be Romeo, and Guinevere as Juliet (Even though the diva sucked at acting). He dreamed of Gwen all the time, and of him going to Homecoming court with the beauty. However, Gwen never saw Artie's feelings, and even if Gwen did see it, she merely shunned the boy's feelings.

"Bravo! Bravo!" The headmaster cheered while he was standing up, and clapping for Lance. The whole gym, except for Artie, gave a round of applause because of the captain's spectacular performance. Artie had to admit that Lance's audition was pretty good, considering the fact that the jouster earned a standing ovation from the principal.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Lance exclaimed as he walked around the stage waving at the spectators. He then walked to the center of the stage and took a bow proudly. The jousting captain stood up straight, swaggered down the stage, and out of the gym he'd gone.

"He really gave an astonishing performance!" Mrs. Bennett praised as the principal, and the magic teacher nodded in agreement. They finally sat down, and called for the next student who would amaze the educators and learners once more.

* * *

The gym was nearly empty. The only people who were still in the building were Arthur, Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Pynchley. Artie wanted to be the last, so people wouldn't see him making mistakes here and there. He was preventing himself from being an even bigger loser. Mrs. Bennett scanned the whole gym. She turned to the left; no student there, then she turned to the right; no student there either. When she turned to her back, she saw Artie sitting patiently.

"Artie, you're the last one, right?" Mrs. Bennett asked as she tucked some strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Um… Yes ma'am." Artie answered quietly, but loud enough to be heard by the lady.

"Well, don't just sit there. Get on the stage!" Mrs. Bennett commanded with excitement as she pointed to the stage, "I can't wait to see how you act." She finished with her sweet, caring voice. Even if it was past nine, Mrs. Bennett wanted to see everyone's potential to act. Artie stood up, and walked up to the stage with haste. When he was finally on the stage, he flipped through his script, and began to recite some of the lines.

"O, speak again, bright angel," He started. His voice didn't sound strong and heroic; instead it was lovely and cute. It didn't fit Romeo's traits whatsoever. The professors didn't stop the boy from reading his lines. The teachers thought that maybe the young man was trying to set up a climax in the end. However, the climax never came. The blonde boy was still speaking in a very sugary voice. Almost like a girl. When Artie finished, the teachers began to comment on his acting.

"Artie, you have potential in acting, but," Mr. Fletcher paused as he turned to look at his fellow teachers, "It's not fit for the role of Romeo." He finished.

"There's nothing wrong about that," Mrs. Bennett objected, "We'll just have to try different lines from different roles." She suggested. The young lad tried every male role there is in the play, but unfortunately, his acting was too gentle. Suddenly, an idea popped in Mr. Pynchley's head.

"How about you try a female role, Artie?" The headmaster proposed. He knew it was a horrid idea, but it was worth a shot. However, it didn't sound like a bad idea to Mrs. Bennett.

"That's perfect!" Mrs. Bennett exclaimed as she got all enthusiastic about the thought. Instead of Artie getting all excited, he was taken aback. A female role? That's absurd! However, that's what the teachers wanted, and he didn't want to disappoint them, so he had to deliver. He turned the pages to find one of Juliet's lines. Once he found one of the damsel's lines, he began to read.

"What's in a name?"Artie started. His voice was so sweet, the teachers almost tasted it. If that was true, his voice would've tasted like honey.

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The teenage boy continued. The teachers were soothed by the boy's acting, and as his audition got longer, the educators considered him to be in a female role more and more. When the young lad finished, the teachers were giving him a round of applause.

"You're very astounding, Mr. Pendragon." Mr. Pynchley said, "You may go now."

"Thank you, sir." Arthur said as he stepped down the stage, and walked to the exit. Before he closed the door, he bid the teachers good night. The only thing in Arthur's mind as he went to the boy's dormitories was how well he did (And how beautiful Gwen was).


End file.
